Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
dictionary thesaurus view recents

trapezoid

noun
Save Word
trap·​e·​zoid | \ ˈtra-pə-ˌzȯid How to pronounce trapezoid (audio) \

Definition of trapezoid

1a : a quadrilateral having only two sides parallel
b British : trapezium sense 1a
2 : a bone in the wrist at the base of the metacarpal of the index finger

Illustration of trapezoid

Illustration of trapezoid

trapezoid 1a

Other Words from trapezoid Example Sentences Learn More about trapezoid

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from trapezoid

trapezoidal \ ˌtra-​pə-​ˈzȯi-​dᵊl How to pronounce trapezoidal (audio) \ adjective

Examples of trapezoid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The large blue trapezoid is the Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued by the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center. — Washington Post, "Loud, damaging and repeated storms deluged the D.C. area Monday night. Here’s how it happened.," 7 July 2020 Image Farmdale, a trapezoid of streets on the area’s eastern edge, between Vineyard Avenue and busy Crenshaw Boulevard, is particularly desirable for its large lots, wide streets with single- family homes and walkability. — Abigail Stone, New York Times, "West Adams, Los Angeles: Prices Rise With the Neighborhood’s Popularity," 21 Apr. 2020 For the main building tiles, there are 30 triangular pieces, 30 squares, 2 trapezoids, 2 hexagons, and 4 long triangles. — Popular Science, "Magnetic building toys for creative kids," 10 Feb. 2020 The vehicle, which represents a large metallic trapezoid, will start at $39,900. — NBC News, "Tesla unveils its first electric pickup, the Cybertruck, starting at $39,900," 22 Nov. 2019 The state’s true shape gained attention Wednesday morning when Gov. Jared Polis posted on his Facebook page the year-old bigthink.com article that says the state looks more like an isosceles trapezoid than an actual rectangle. — James Burky, The Denver Post, "Rectangle state? Nope. Colorado has 697 sides, not four.," 16 Oct. 2019 He was placed on the injured list with a right trapezoid strain Aug. 13. — Los Angeles Times, "Gavin Lux will make his Dodgers debut Monday," 1 Sep. 2019 If that’s true, there’s little reason not to junk the left side of the trapezoid and do what the LIFT+ Act does: include everyone, regardless of earned income. — Dylan Matthews, Vox, "Rashida Tlaib wants to give low-income adults $3,000 a year each, no questions asked," 12 June 2019 The credit looks a bit like a trapezoid: an upward-sloping line on the left, a plateau in the middle, and then a downward-sloping line on the right. — Dylan Matthews, Vox, "Parenting can be a full-time job. Activists want the tax code to treat it that way.," 15 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trapezoid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of trapezoid

circa 1706, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

History and Etymology for trapezoid

New Latin trapezoïdes, from Greek trapezoeidēs trapezium-shaped, from trapeza table

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about trapezoid

Time Traveler for trapezoid

Time Traveler

The first known use of trapezoid was circa 1706

See more words from the same year

Statistics for trapezoid

Cite this Entry

“Trapezoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trapezoid. Accessed 23 Oct. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for trapezoid

trapezoid

noun
How to pronounce trapezoid (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of trapezoid

geometry
US : a four-sided shape that has two sides that are parallel and two sides that are not parallel

See the full definition for trapezoid in the English Language Learners Dictionary

trapezoid

noun
trap·​e·​zoid | \ ˈtra-pə-ˌzȯid How to pronounce trapezoid (audio) \

Kids Definition of trapezoid

: a flat geometric figure with four sides but with only two sides parallel

trapezoid

noun
trap·​e·​zoid | \ ˈtrap-ə-ˌzȯid How to pronounce trapezoid (audio) \

Medical Definition of trapezoid

: a bone in the distal row of the carpus at the base of the index finger

— called also lesser multangular, trapezoid bone, trapezoideum

More from Merriam-Webster on trapezoid

Nglish: Translation of trapezoid for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of trapezoid for Arabic Speakers

Comments on trapezoid

What made you want to look up trapezoid? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

guttersnipe

Listen to the pronunciation of guttersnipe

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Farm Idioms Quiz

  • cow coming home
  • What does 'poke' refer to in the expression 'pig in a poke'?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games